The Forgotten
by Kai517TeenWriter
Summary: Clara Garmadon has been a Forgotten her whole life. Now, she wants revenge.
1. Four Sides

**Author's Note**

Please note that this is my first full-length fanfiction, so it's kind of short and not the best. I am getting better, though.

* * *

There are four sides to every story. I shall elaborate and define.

Hero: the 'good guys,' the people who save the day, and have positive outlooks

Villain: the 'bad guys,' who are just the opposite of heroes

Hero Forgotten: members of the Family of Fame, who would prefer to be Heroes

Villain Forgotten: members of the Family of Fame who plot like Villains

Each side sees something different. Villains either see a foiled plot or a 'great' idea. Heroes see someone to save or an evil plan to stop. The Forgottens pretty much do the same, except they aren't noticed for their efforts. Instead, all of the glory goes to Heroes or Villains.

Often, the Heroes or Villains accredited for their deeds are their own family.

Family of Fame: people in some relation to a famous Hero or Villain (see also: Forgotten)

It should be made clear, though. I am a Forgotten.

My father is Lord Garmadon, the evil lord turned kindly teacher. My brother is Lloyd Garmadon, also a convert from Evil.

I shall tell you my story. But let me tell you.

I don't love. I don't have emotions such as love.

I honestly don't care.

And my story isn't the prettiest.

So, go ahead. Read on, if you want.

But don't say I didn't tell you.


	2. Plans & Petitions

I wrapped my long black hair in a knot, then let it fall loose.

Taking a deep breath in, I pushed the door to the throne room open.

"Ah, right on time, Miss Garmadon," a shrill, high-pitched voice greeted me.

"And hello to you, too, Master Chen," I muttered.

"Excuse me?"

I just shook my head.

"Why did you wish to see me, Miss Garmadon?"

I looked up and inhaled.

"As you well know, Master Chen, I have family out there. Family that is good, famous, Heroes."

He nodded, so I continued.

"As you should also know, sir, my father and brother weren't always Heroes. They both used to be Villains."

"And what might you be getting at, Miss Garmadon? I haven't got all day."

"I want to reconvert one of them. Perhaps my brother, because he is younger, easier to get to. By doing this, I will rightfully earn status as more than a Forgotten, because I was the one who transformed my brother."

"And how do you propose we do that, if I agree to?"

Another sharp inhale. "A Tournament of Elements."

* * *

One week later, I was summoned to Master Chen's throne room again to further discuss this idea of mine.

"So, you're proposing a tournament," he started, "where we pit all the elemental masters against each other, under the facade of fame and glory, when really, we're just trying to reconvert your brother to the dark side?"

I nodded.

"No."

"What? Why?"

He stared at me long and hard, then simply said, "No. I'm not going to do it. You see, what's in it for me?"

I smiled, knowing he had hit right where I wanted him to. "You see, in order to reconvert my brother, we have to drain all of his power, giving him the facade that nothing good can stay. Including his powers. You... you can drain everyone of their powers to make it seem like you're not targeting just my brother, but everyone. You can keep all of the powers. That's what's in it for you."

He nodded, thoroughly contemplating my offer.

"Please, this is beneficial for both of us."

"Indeed, I can do this."


	3. The Tournament Begins

I watched through the window as the boat arrived and the masters hopped off one by one. Too many people... Just what I wanted.

Of course, that sounds like a rather unnatural reaction, doesn't it?

But the more people are here, the less they'll see of me, sneaking around, doing my plans.

Naturally, I was there.

Chen had made me a Kabuki in order to spy for him.

I would get to be that spy on the inside, the one who nobody would ever think is helping the bad guy. Nobody would ever guess is the bad guy, really. Because, while we're going to make it seem like Chen's idea, I'm the mastermind behind it all.

The masters filed into the giant room- commonly called the greetings room- and took seats around the giant Anacondrai painted onto the floor. I hadn't ever really noticed it before now, never noticed it until it was flanked with seventeen people- all of them strangers but my father and brother.

The introductory words are spoken, and I noticed Lloyd conversing with Dad.

Though I want to butt in, see what they're talking about, I refrain from doing so. For now, at least.

The doors to the greetings room are opened, allowing us Kabuki into it. We fan out into a semi-circle around the elemental masters. I am secretly giddy that I'm next to Lloyd- for the wrong reasons.

We are then dismissed to show them into their rooms.

I grip Lloyd's forearm so tight- I wouldn't be surprised if a bruise showed up tomorrow morning- and guided him to his new, temporary living quarters.

Instead of telling him how we configured his room, like we are required to, I shove him into the door, only letting go of him and shutting the door after I hiss the one sentence on my mind.

"Welcome to The Forgotten."


	4. Memories

"Clara! Clara!"

I look down at the source of the voice, a little boy with blond hair and sparkling green eyes. The boy isn't that tall. He's about as tall as my knees.

A girl, a few years older, enters the room. Her hair is jet-black and her eyes a dark brown, a worried expression written across her pale face.

"What is it, Lloyd?"

"I can't get to sleep," the boy whispers.

Taking him in her arms, the girl sits down with him.

"Clara?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you sing for me?"

"Sure, Lloyd."

I close my eyes as the girl starts humming a familiar tune, knowing every lyric by heart.

The song itself starts out soft, slow, and haunting, and it gets lighter with each verse.

I hum along.

 _We can't all be_

 _What we want to see_

 _Not all of us get what we ask for_

 _But look, look and see_

 _Find what you were made to be_

 _We can't go hiding_

 _Our heads in the sand_

 _If the time comes_

 _Who will take the stand?_

 _Who keeps on fighting?_

 _What is right_

 _And what is wrong?_

 _Why is it so hard to tell?_

 _So heed this song_

 _Listen to what I say tonight_

 _You were made for something special_

 _I know it, I swear_

 _You were made for so much more_

 _I just don't know when or where_

 _And maybe... just maybe..._

 _When you find what that is_

 _You'll remember me_

 _And thank your big sis..._

Little Lloyd looked up at the girl after the finishing note, smiling.

"I like that, Clara," he murmured, "can you sing that to me every night?"

The girl smiles.

"I promise."


	5. Determination

When I wake up, I start preparing for the day, brushing my long, black hair, applying makeup to my already pale face. I surprise myself when I start singing the lullaby from my memory.

The lullaby I made up right on the spot all those years ago, the song just for Lloyd...

I put my hair up in a knot, still singing the song.

Why was I singing this song?

I can't turn back to where I was, and therefore need to get this song out of my head as soon as possible. But I can't. I can't.

I can't I can't I can't.

I stop singing, but can't erase it from my mind.

With this, and my determination, I had so much to focus on today.

But I have to focus on the Tournament.

No distractions.

No more.

No longer will I allow myself to do this.

I need to get back to my plan.


	6. A New Idea

I finally got the song out of my head and followed the other girls down to the kitchen, where we had to grab the food to bring to the masters.

"Did you hear?"

I turn to the girl next to me, curious.

"Hear what?"

"There's going to be a ton of fights today. And a feast for dinner to celebrate."

Of course I knew this. But I had to play along. Nobody could know that Chen and I were working on this together.

"No, I didn't hear," I murmur, and she nods triumphantly.

I looked at my fellow Kabuki and saw one that I didn't particularly recognize.

She had black hair like all of us- but half of us, exception of me, had wigs- and sparkling green eyes. She was petite, around my size, and I knew I'd seen her around somewhere. But it wasn't here.

As we stood in line, waiting to grab the food for the masters, she turned to face me.

"I heard that song you were humming earlier," she whispered, "how do you know that song?"

What does she mean, 'how do you know that song'?

"I heard it around somewhere," I fib, "I must've picked it up somewhere and it popped into my head just now. It's nothing, really."

"You heard it somewhere? That very song," she replied, "that song you were humming earlier, I've only known one person who knows that song. And Lloyd said that only his older sister knew it other than him, and she's been missing for the past decade or so. Wait..."

I am thankful that someone hands me a tray of biscuits at that moment, because I was so close to possibly being discovered.

* * *

After all of the tournaments, there are major preparations for the feast.

I am invited into Chen's throne room, though, instead of being asked to help.

"We weren't able to eliminate any of the ninjas," Chen starts.

"I could tell," I retort, rolling my eyes.

"So, do you have any other ideas or plans, then, Miss Garmadon, or do I have to think of anything for you?"

"Sir, I did have an idea," I say, because a thought was forming in my mind right at that moment, "some people take fortunes to heart, right? And we're having fortune cookies at the feast? Lloyd was always one to follow what his fortune cookie says. So, if we send him a message through one, he might be easier to get to."

Chen just nods and I'm off.


	7. A Change of Heart

Grabbing the tray of fortune cookies, I moved swiftly towards the dining hall.

With this, my plan should be made easier. It should make it easy enough to complete my task and revert Lloyd back to what he once was.

But... did I really want to do this? The girl from earlier, Anya, tried keeping up a conversation about the song and my brother. I kept my face buried in a book, keeping myself from being discovered and making it obvious that I was ignoring her. But she kept on talking.

"Every so often, Lloyd would hum or sing that song," she had said, "and when I asked him about it, he told me about his sister. He said he really missed her. That she never deserved what she got."

That had piqued my interest, but I didn't show it.

So, what did I want to do, really?

I can't help but pause as I near the door, but am pushed forward into the room.

Chen stops me, picking up a fortune cookie, examining it closely before Clouse scolds him for doing so.

And then I am forced move forward.

* * *

I don't know who got the fortune cookie, in all honesty, or what their reaction to it was. All I know is that somebody got it and I was feeling pretty guilty.

 _We can't all be_

 _What we want to see..._

That's when I realize that I hadn't made that song up for Lloyd.

He was perfectly fine at fitting in, he knew where he belonged. Well, back then he thought it was Darkley's, but he still knew something.

The song, the lyrics... I had made them for me.

With this realization, I am suddenly more confused.

What am I doing here? Why am I doing this? Where do I belong?

The last one, though holding no significance to the Tournament itself, proved that I was just about as lost and clueless as I was earlier, when my sole job was comforting my little brother.

How I miss those days...

When Lloyd relied on me and only on me, before Dad became full-force evil and Mom put Lloyd in Darkley's and ran off, leaving me to fend for myself. When I wasn't in this mess in the first place.

Oh, gosh.

I'm in the middle of a mess that I myself had created in attempts to get back at my brother. He'd done nothing to me in the first place. And I had promised Chen that if he helped me, I would help him...

What am I supposed to say to him?

I can't just tell him or else he'd hurt me or worse, but I can't just pretend that I'm still working for a cause that I don't believe in anymore...

What an adventure this is going to be.


	8. A New Plan

I checked to see that the other Kabuki were asleep as I tiptoed towards the door.

Nobody stirred, and I made it safely.

But when I opened the door, someone was there.

"Trenton," I whispered under my breath, "what brings you here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question, Clara," he replied.

Trenton and I were neighbors before my family split apart. I will admit, there was once a little bit of second-grade 'romance' going on between us, but that was eleven years ago.

I mean, we're eighteen now, and we were naive then.

"How did you recognize me?"

Among all of the Kabuki, I'm the one who somehow gets recognized. Wow.

"I would recognize you anywhere, Clara," he murmurs.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go. I have some important business to attend to."

"There's a bathroom in there, you know," he gestures into the Kabuki room, and I roll my eyes.

"Not that kind of business, dimwit," I snap before pushing past him towards the rooms of the Elemental Masters.

* * *

I breathe in, trying to decrease all of the stress and worry inside of me. It would be okay. This was going to turn out just fine.

I exhale and reach to knock on the door. It swings open before I can make contact, and I instead slap my brother's face.

"About time you came through, Clara," he groaned.

"Oh my gosh, Lloyd," I frantically whisper, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to punch you..."

"It's okay. You didn't know I was going to open the door."

"Let me in, I can help bandage that up."

"No."

"What?"

"No bandages. Normally, I would jump at the chance, but I was told that I couldn't do anything that made others perceive me as weak."

"Fine. At least let me clean it off for you."

He gives in.

"How long were you planning to stay away from me, Clara?"

I pause, looking at my brother.

"I... I'm so sorry, Lloyd," I choke out before breaking into tears, "I... I meant to do something to you... I started the Tournament... it's all my fault... I wasn't planning on stopping by here..."

"Whoa, whoa, Clara," his voice is edged with concern and sympathy, "don't cry. Please don't cry."

He lets me embrace him until the crying is done, and then we're back to talking.

"I wanted to get you to reconvert to evil," I confide, "so I asked Chen to set up this Tournament. I offered him all of the elemental powers once the Tournament was done... what have I done?"

"Clara, look. You never deserved what you got, okay? You have always deserved so much better than being Forgotten. I missed you, sis, and I know Dad and Mom did, too, but... Clara, did you just say you offered him all of the power?"

I nod.

"What? Clara, why?"

"I needed to give him incentive so that I could get what I wanted."

"But you were thinking on impulse."

"I know, and I'm sorry!"

Lloyd and I have never argued. The scenario from the memory, where I sang him the lullaby as he curled up next to me, was pretty close to the norm in our childhood.

We both stopped, fully aware of what we were doing now.

"Now what am I supposed to do, Lloyd?"

"Clara, you're the one who's eighteen."

"But I don't know!"

"How about a new plan?"

I nod, swallowing.

"That would be a nice start, I suppose."

* * *

"Lloyd? Who's in there with you? I heard bickering earlier," Dad's voice floats in through the door.

I flinch. It's been so long. Would Dad recognize me like Lloyd did?

Lloyd opens the door and Dad steps in.

"What's going on, son?"

His eyes skirt the room before finally landing on me. It seems as if time is paused while he stands staring at me and I stare back.

"Clara Marie..."

So he recognized me.

Lloyd explained the whole ordeal to Dad and then showed him our new plan.

"A pretty good-looking plan," Dad comments, "I think..."

"What do you think, Dad?"

"I think we can make it work out."


	9. Plot Twist

"Okay, so we're agreed?"

My brother and father nod.

"Agreed."

"Good," I say as my eyes wander to a clock, "crap! I have to get back to the room before anybody else wakes up and notices I'm gone."

They just nod and I run off.

* * *

I peek at the scoreboard from behind my fan, eager yet afraid to check who was still in.

What I see floors me.

Cole is gone.

The other Kabuki dance around, fanning Chen and entertaining him.

Clouse enters and whispers something to Chen.

"What?!"

I don't know what it is, but it could be something I did. I gulp back, forcing myself to continue twirling and giggling like a little girl.

"We have a traitor in our midst," Chen growls.

This makes my stomach tie up in knots. He knows. They know.

Our plan is busted.

Chen throws down the book that Clouse had handed him.

"Search them!"

I look at my companions. Anya looks ready to have a heart attack.

What has her so worried?

She turns and tries to run, but Clouse catches her by the wrist, "you. Check her!"

She yanks away and runs off.

My heart is pounding, but I am glad that it's not me, it's not me, it's not me.

They don't know yet.

But... I sigh.

If they're cracking down on us, I need to put my plan into action...

Soon.

* * *

The first part of the plan was heading down to 'The Factory' as it was called and rescuing Cole first.

That one seemed easy enough. I just had to break him out of the chains binding him to the wall in the cell that night and lead him into the tunnel of vents.

I had a map of this labyrinth, which was useful, but I still couldn't help the lost, confused feeling.

Among the scary things that have happened to me, this might be the scariest.

But I was willing to risk it all if it meant redeeming myself.


	10. Labyrinth

I heard footsteps approaching and I grabbed Cole by the wrist.

"This way," I hiss.

The footsteps come closer and closer until they stop. Right in front of us.

I freeze, but not before they notice us pressed against the stone walls.

"Hey! You're coming with us."

* * *

I sat chained to a cell wall by my arms, my legs bound by chains on the floor. Not much light was streaming in through the tiny window, and no light was coming through the door.

I hear voices.

"Yeah, yeah, we're trapped again," Cole's voice echoes off the walls.

"Well, this could be a bit problematic, Cole."

This voice is one I do not recognize, flat but not monotone, sounding a bit... robotic.

"I know that, Zane. But we have to get out of here."

"I don't know how I can possibly help you there. I'm sorry."

"There are plans, Zane, plans to bust us all out of here. Can't you please at least try to help?"

"I could if my powers weren't taken."

They both sigh.

"Clara... I'm sorry."

I turn in the direction the voice is coming from. Cole is behind the wall next to my back.

"There's always a little flaw in every plan," I reply, "sometimes, it can be improved. Other times, it leads to the downfall of the plan. But if this is the end of any of my plans, I'm glad it's this plan and not some stupid, crappy plan."

Of course I wanted out of here. I still want to achieve my goals, still want to free everyone here who was wrongly imprisoned because of me.

But my words held truth.

I'm glad that it's this plan that ended like this, this plan that people will remember because of how recent it is compared to the plan that used to be working.

Life isn't fair.

But is it ever?

* * *

I awake the next morning to the voices of the guards, ushering me out the door and into The Factory.

I step out of the dark, dank cell and shuffle into line behind the others. Cole turns around to face me and looks relieved that I'm okay.

But I wasn't okay.

I needed to escape. To free the others that were wrongly taken. Redeem myself, reverse my wrongs from earlier...

But how?

Chopping noodles is no fun, let me tell you.

But Cole made it at least tolerable.

"We have to run," I whisper once I know we're out of earshot, "we have to make a run for it and try to escape. When the Kabuki come to pick up the food, the guards are often too distracted. We should utilize that time to escape."

"How would you know all of this?"

I sigh, regaling my tale in a hushed voice.

I didn't have time for this.

* * *

The Kabuki enter and I grab Cole's wrist. I know the way into the tunnels from here.

We quickly get Zane from his cell and we're off running again.

* * *

We are forced to bunker down for the day inside the stone tunnels. No guards will be down here, seeing as the tournament is still going on, and we all need rest.

Zane offers to watch guard for us, and soon, Cole and I are asleep.


	11. Discovery

There were grates that let lights come in from the rooms and I peeked into one. I saw a big bed, a desk off in the corner, and the light was on. But there was nobody in there.

I recognized the desk in the corner. It's the one that I had snuck into earlier in order to find a notebook that would tell me what Chen truly wanted so that I could convince him to go on this entire endeavor with me.

I wanted to get back into that room, that desk, and find out more information.

"Clara, what are you thinking right now?"

"Zane, I need to sneak into this room," I murmur under my breath, "I need to see if there's any more information that I can find in order to get out of here, saving everyone."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Zane replies.

But it was too late.

I had already removed the grate and was climbing through.

* * *

I reached the desk and pulled open the drawer I knew he kept his private things. But he never went through them anymore, seeing as he hasn't written in the notebook since his wife died fifteen years ago.

I grab the notebook on top, and am about to close the drawer again when I see a page of paper. The title captures my interest.

Chen Family Tree.

I grab it, sticking it into the notebook before heading back to the grate and the dark, gloomy tunnels that awaited me.

* * *

By the light of the room, I read the neat handwriting on the family tree first.

I come across a name that makes me gasp.

Chen and his wife had four kids including Skylor.

Colton James.

Anya Elizabeth.

Trenton Wade.

Cole stirs and looks at me, curious.

"What is it, Clara?"

"What's your full name?"

"Colton."

"Colton James?"

"Yeah..."

I point at the name on the family tree.

Our eyes meet and his mouth drops.

"Trenton... that's the guy that's been around. With the black hair and the purple eyes and streak in his hair?"

"Yeah."

He looks me over once again and says something unintelligible.

"What?"

"I said, 'that means I'm going to have to fight harder for you, then.'"


	12. Escape

We are awake and moving by evening, ready to bust everybody out.

Cole and Zane were kind of easy, but this might end up being harder.

I consult my map at every fork in the tunnels, leading the boys through this labyrinth.

I finally locate all of the people we needed except for one.

Anya.

* * *

I open the final grate and crawl into the old Kabuki room. Everyone was behind me, waiting with bated breath.

Every single one of the Kabuki girls are asleep except for one.

Anya- or Nya, as Kai confirmed- was sitting by the mirror, brushing her hair and humming softly.

But if I had learned anything about the Kabuki during my time as one of them, they were extremely light sleepers. So I have to be careful.

I tiptoe into the room as quietly as I can and hum softly when I reach her.

She turns around, startled, and then smiles.

I beckon her to follow me and we tiptoe back to the grate and climb through.

We all regather and soon enough, I'm leading everyone down the labyrinth and into the sunlight.

We're free again.


	13. Epilogue

I am led into a dank cave only to find that it's filled with gadgets and lights. It has a warm and cozy feel to it, almost like I belong here, and there are people standing against the wall in the back, smiling warmly at me.

That's when I knew it.

I was home.


End file.
